Method of manufacturing a cuff link



Nov. 5, 1963 v. CAITALDI 3,109,229

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CUFF LINK Filed July 1, 1960 INVENTOR. LOUIS V. CATALDI ATTORNEYS United states Patent 3,169,229 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CUFF LINK Louis V. Cataltii, 54 Imperial Ave, Cranston, RI. Filed July 1, 1960, Ser. No. 40,283 3 Claims. (Cl. 2916tl.6)

This invention relates to a cufI link and more particularly to the method of manufacturing the same. Some cuff links which are in use today have a post with a fixed head at one end and a movable or pivoted head at the other end, the arrangement between the post and movable head being such that the head is maintained either at right angles to the post or in line therewith.

The tendency today in the manufacture of inexpensive cuff links is to provide a construction which may be largely machine formed.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a post and head which may be formed and assembled by machine operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction which may be made of sheet stock which may be supplied in indefinite lengths and thus the supply may be theoretically unlimited.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which by reason of use of the sheet stock formation may reduce the necessity for handling different parts even though the operation of assembly may be mechanical.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing different steps in the formation of a head member and also different steps in the formation of the post member;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the assembly of the post and head members and the severance of the same each from its own strip stock; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a completed cuff link.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

In proceeding with this invention for the formation and assembly of a head and post members of a cuff link, I feed a strip of sheet stock which is to become the head of the cuff link and another strip of sheet stock which is to become the post of the cuff link. Each of these is fed through a plurality of stations and at different stations different operations are performed on the strip which is to become the head and on the strip which is to become the post of the link. The two strips feed toward an assembly area or station, and at this assembly station, the post and head are assembled mechanic-ally in the machine and at the same time severed from the strip of stock in which the preliminary formations occur. Thus, when it is discharged from the machine, there is an assembled post and head in a jewelry finding form ready to be attached to a fixed head for completion of the link.

With reference to the drawings, 19 designates a strip of sheet stock from which the head of the link is formed and 11 designates a strip of sheet stock from which the post of the link is formed. These two strips are indicated as being fed toward each other to an assembly station and when at that assembly station the two members are attached and cut from their respective sheets of stock.

With reference to the strip from which the head of the link is for-med, the blank strip is, at one station, cut into the shape shown at 13 while at another further advanced station 14 it is dapped to provide two indented portions 15. At a further advanced station 16, it is partially bent upwardly while at a still further advanced station 17 it is bent 3 1%,229 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 into tubular form with the edges abutting at 18. This tubular form is arcuate or curved at the top seen at 19 in FIG. 3.

The other blank strip of stock 2% from which the post is formed is peripherally cut out at one station 21 while it is cut out in the center as shown at station 22 and further cutout to provide two arms spaced at their ends as shown at 23'. In the operations on these two strips, they are conveniently placed in different planes so that as they are fed to the assembly station, the post with its two arms 24 spaced at their ends as at 25 will be located above the tubular head 17. In the assembly operation a plunger forces the two arms 24 down onto the curved upper surface of the tubular head 17 so that these arms are spread and move into the dapped recesses 15 in the head, thus pivotally relating the arms 24 and the head 17, and as this plunger moves downwardly, it severs the head 17 from the strip of stock by cutting out the portion designated in dotted lines 26 (FIG. 3) and also severs the post from the station 22 along a lateral line at 27 which provides the attaching portion 23 which immediately after severing is bent 'by the descending severing plunger at right angles to the general plane of the strip as shown in FIG. 3 so that this severing operation and the bending of the attaching part 23 occur in one stroke of a plunger. Thus, the jewelry finding comprising the head now designated 29' and the post now designated 3! FIG. 4, are formed with the attaching portion 28 at right angles to the post. The finding thus formed may be sold for use in attaching the part 28 to some ornamental head 31 such as by soldering or welding as shown in FIG. 4. Thus the formation of the cuff link as shown in FIG. 4 is all automatic and mechanical except the soldering of the ornamental head thereto.

The shape of the recesses 15 and the shape of the arms at 25 will be such that the head and arms will be held either in line with each other such as shown in FIG. 3 or at right angles to each other as shown in FIG. 4, the arms being so shaped that they will spring outwardly as movement from one position to the other occurs and then will be moved back into the holding relation between the parts in the desired relationship. The shape of the recesses 15 may be square and the shape of the arm end 25 may be pyramidal to accomplish this.

In use the thickness of the stock of the post will be of heavier gauge than the thickness of the stock which is bent up into the tubular head for the obtaining of strength where desired.

Although an open-ended tubular member 29 is provided for the head, it will be apparent that the ends of this tube could be closed by suitable mechanical operations if desired.

In FIG. 5 I have illustrated a modified post formation. Here the strip 10 which has previously been illustrated and described is fed in at one elevation here shown as being fed right to left, while at a location above this path of feeding the strip 10, there is a strip 35 fed in a path at right angles to the path of feeding the strip 19. This strip 35 is of wire formation and is arched on its opposite surfaces as illustrated. A protuberance 34 is struck from the strip 35 at two locations and then at a subsequent station the strip is severed and bent into U-form as shown at 32 to provide legs 33 located generally opposite each other with the legs inclined inwardly toward each other. The projections 34 are also directed toward each other from the legs 33. The U-form post 32 is then advanced into a position above the head 29 and is forced downwardly so as to spread the legs 33 and cause the projections 34 to enter the recesses 15 in the head 19, and at the same time or at a point subsequent to the assembly station, the head is severed from its strip so as to leave the assembly such as shown in full lines in FIG. 5. At this point the bridging portion 35' of the U-post 32 may be attached to a head 31 such as previously illustrated in FIG. 4.

I claim:

1. In the method of manufacturing a cult link having a post and a head, the steps of feeding a strip of sheet stock through a plurality of operating stations successively cutting the strip providing recesses therein, folding the opposite side edges of the cut portion including the area with recesses into tubular form to form a head with opposite recesses and assembling the head with a post having bifurcated arms to enter said recesses and severing the tubular head from the strip.

2. In the method of manufacturing a cut? link having a post and a head, the steps of feeding a strip of sheet stock through a plurality of operating stations, cutting the strip at one station, dapping the cut portion to provide recesses at another station, folding the opposite side edges of the cut portion including the recesses into tubular form at another station 'to form a head with opposite recesses and assembling the he ad with a post having bifurcated resilient arms by flexing and spreading the arms as forced over the tubular head until their ends enter said recesses and severing the tubular head from the strip at another station.

plurality of operating stations, cutting one strip at one station, folding the opposite side edges or" the cut portion arcuateiy and into tubular form at another station to form a head and advancing the head to an assembly station,

utting the other strip at one station and providing a pair of arms at another station with spaced ends a distance apart less than the arcuately folded sides to provide a post and advancing the post to the same assembly station and then assembling the post and head by forcing the spaced end against the arcuately formed sides to spread them and at the same time severing the post and head from their respective 'strips at the assembly station.

References Cited in the file of this patent 9 UNITED STATES PATENTS 217,861 Corell July 29, 1879 1,206,529 Gonick Nov. 28, 1916 1,446,487 Tirnken Feb. 27, 1923 2,059,582 Hurewitz Nov. 3, 1936 2,684,421 Hippie July 20, 1954 2,711,574 Conklin et a1 June 28, 1955 

1. IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CUFF LINK HAVING A POST AND A HEAD, THE STEPS OF FEEDING A STRIP OF SHEET STOCK THROUGH A PLURALITY OF OPERATING STATIONS SUCCESSIVELY CUTTING THE STRIP PROVIDING RECESSES THEREIN, FOLDING THE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF THE CUT PORTION INCLUDING THE AREA WITH RECESSES INTO TUBULAR FORM TO FORM A HEAD WITH OPPOSITE RECESSES AND ASSEMBLING THE HEAD WITH A POST HAVING BIFURCATED ARMS TO ENTER SAID RECESSES AND SERVING THE TUBULAR HEAD FROM THE STRIP. 